* Sadio Mané is voted Best Player of the Tournament and named in the AfCON Morocco 2025 Best XI
* Four years ago, Sadio Mané converted a penalty to give Senegal its first continental star and in 2025, he returned to the summit of African football
* Through another door — that of composure, calm, moral authority and an assist to the winning goal in the AfCON final
Maravi Express
The CAF technical study group (TSG) has unveiled the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025 Best XI with newly-crowned African champions Senegal and losing finalists Morocco dominating the selection with four players each named in the squad that features standout performers such as Yassine Bounou, Idrissa Gueye and Sadio Mané.
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Morocco’s presence is led by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who delivered an outstanding campaign, conceding just two goals in seven matches — joined by teammates Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui and Brahim Díaz, who finished the tournament as the leading goalscorer.
Champions Senegal, who secured their second continental title, are represented by defender Moussa Niakhaté, midfielders Pape Gueye and Idrissa Gueye, and forward Sadio Mané, who was named Player of the Tournament following a series of decisive performances.
Nigeria, who finished third, also feature prominently with three players selected — defender Calvin Bassey, winger Ademola Lookman and striker Victor Osimhen, all of whom played key roles in the Super Eagles’ strong showing.
The format is 4-3-3 as follows:
Goalkeeper: Yassine Bounou (Morocco)
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco), Moussa Niakhaté (Senegal), Calvin Bassey (Nigeria)
Midfielders: Ademola Lookman (Nigeria), Pape Gueye & Idrissa Gueye (Senegal)
Forwards: Brahim Díaz (Morocco), Victor Osimhen (Nigeria) and Sadio Mané (Senegal).
Four years ago, Sadio Mané converted a penalty to give Senegal its first continental star and in 2025, returned to the summit of African football through another door — that of composure, calm, and moral authority.
The captain of the Lions of Teranga was logically named Player of the Tournament — an individual trophy that rewards not a flood of goals, but a deep imprint left on every important match.
The hero without a goalscorer’s cape
This AfCON was not Mané’s tournament in terms of dazzling statistics. Others filled the score sheets more — but when the pressure reached breaking point, it was to him that Senegal turned.
In the final against the host nation, in an electric atmosphere, Mané embodied stability — the voice that brings people together; the look that reassures; the gesture that puts a team back on track when everything threatens to derail.
It is often in these moments that the greatest individual honors are decided — when football goes beyond the game itself.
Why Mané, and not another
On paper, the competition was real. Some scored more, others assisted more — but AfCON 2025 did not reward simple attacking output, it celebrated an exemplary captain — consistent in effort, irreproachable in attitude, decisive in the invisible.
Mané was the player who speaks when he needs to speak, acts when he needs to act, and steps back when the team must move forward together. A complete leader, respected by teammates and opponents alike.
Throughout the competition, Mané dictated Senegal’s tempo — without haste; without nervousness. He pressed, directed, supported, sometimes dropped deeper to help the block move forward.
In the knockout matches, he was always present in the key moments — where details become decisive as this AFCON revealed a complete Mané, freed from the obsession with scoring and focused on winning.
At 33, Mané further enriches an already monumental career. Perhaps approaching the final chapter of his international journey. Perhaps not. With him, history has often shown a fondness for unexpected returns.
The mark left in 2025
Morocco 2025 will be remembered as the tournament where Sadio Mané no longer needed to be spectacular to be indispensable. In an African football landscape undergoing rapid evolution, he reminded everyone of an essential truth — great teams win with leaders who remain standing when everything is shaking.
He did not seek to shine, he chose to guide. And that is why Morocco 2025 bears his signature. Best Player of AfCON 2025, Sadio Mané did not just win a trophy — he confirmed his status as a defining figure in the history of African football.
Key figures at the AfCON Morocco 2025 include 2 goals; assists (including the winning goal scored by Pape Gueye); 5 decisive actions in 7 matches played — modest numbers but an immense impact and tactical influence, together with his leadership were decisive in critical moments.
He has a commanding trophy cabinet: AfCON winner 2021; AfCON winner 2025; AfCON 2025 Player of the Tournament; African Ballon d’Or (CAF) 2022; UEFA Champions League winner; and English Premier League champion.—Reporting by CAFonline; edited by Maravi Express
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